A Walk Down the 100 Themes Lane
by Cream-Soda-PSH
Summary: Current Chapter: Breaking the Rules. Drew and May have been inseparable, but now they're realising that they need to move on from a failing friendship.
1. Introduction

**_Alright, I know for a fact that I should work on my other stories, but inspiration's kinda dead right now. I'll be back on track soon enough, but here's a 100 Themes Challenge that I'll work on when I'm bored, have time, or just feel like I need to write something warm and fluffy for the people of !_**

**_Yes, there are 100 themes, Introduction is obviously first and I haven't decided what should be next. Although there are 45 stories in Drew's POV, 45 stories in May's POV, and 10 in mine. Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>~ Introduction ~<strong>_

May Maple threw disk after disk toward Beautifly as they practiced their contest appeal.

"Use Silver Wind!" She commanded. Although Beautifly had expertly weaved through the disks, shooting with great accuracy, one disk flew astray.

May heard a grunt from where she thought the disk had landed and quickly ran to the area. She saw a boy, not much older than herself, rubbing his head with one hand and holding Beautifly's training disk in the other. The boy looked up and saw May; he hastily pulled himself together at the presence of such a beauty.

He gulped down his apprehensiveness and flicked his bangs. "Not very good aim, are you?"

She scoffed indignantly and replied, "I don't control gravity!"

Several cheesy pickup lines flashed in the boy's head. _I thought you controlled gravity because I'm being attracted to you._ Or _even if you don't control gravity, you already have complete control over me._ He bit those thoughts down, feeling as if they would be unappreciated.

"You certainly can't control your temper either."

May was beet red. "Beautifly! Let's go practice again!"

"What's your name?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"I'm Drew."

"That's great. Now I have to get going." May had her arms crossed and was about to walk away.

"Would you like to battle?"

May turned to face Drew again and tilted her head. Did he ask to spend more time with her? When she realized he did, she gave him a grin and nodded.

Drew reached for a PokeBall at his side and tossed it up. "Roselia, time to shine!"

May eagerly sent forth Beautifly. "Let's show him who's boss."

"Use Razor Leaf!" Thin blades of leaves were strewn across the field, directed towards Beautifly.

"Counter with Silver Wind!" Beautifly sent jets of light at Roselia, dealing slight damage.

Drew smirked, "Not bad for a rookie! You might actually have what it takes to be a coordinator! Poison Powder and Petal Dance!" This time, instead of leaves, delicate yet deadly rose petals were disseminated through the air. But these petals weren't their usual shade of pink, they were an ominous mauve.

May looked in horror at the combination as it was pinpointed at Beautifly. "Dodge and use Psychic!" While most of the petals developed a teal aura, the rest were all direct hits to Beautifly. Starting to lower from the air, Beautifly lost her graceful glide, now reduced to a sketchy stumble.

"Beautifly, use U-turn and follow up with Giga Impact!"

"Roselia, Poison Jab!" Drew commanded.

Her eyes widened again. "Beautifly, stop!" But she hadn't responded in time and Poison Jab was a critical hit, while Beautifly had only managed to weakly attack with U-Turn. Beautifly now struggled very low towards the ground.

"Roselia, Stun Spore and then start charging for Solar Beam!"

But May wasn't finished. Clutching her hands, she shouted, "Dodge and use Double Team!" Successful prior to dodging the Stun Spore, multiple Beautiflies started to appear.

"Petal Dance, Roselia. Find the real Beautifly and use Leaf Blade!"

"Beautifly, use Return!" Beautifly flew towards Roselia and attacked over and over, dealing critical damage.

"Energy Ball, Roselia!" Following her trainer's commands, a circular green ball was launched at Beautifly.

"Silver Wind!" The two forces met at the center and created an explosion great enough to blow both Pokemon backwards.

"Roselia! Finish Beautifly off, now with Solar Beam!" Releasing the energy, a blinding ray of light blasted towards Beautifly, causing a direct hit. When the light dimmed, Beautifly had fainted on the ground, swirls instead of eyes.

"Beautifly!" Her trainer sped towards her and picked her up gently. Cuddling Beautifly, she softly whispered, "You did great, I couldn't have been more proud. Return."

And after the crimson light shined on Beautifly, she was safely returned to her PokeBall.

Standing up, she looked at Drew. "That was a nice battle."

"Yeah," Drew said. "Too bad, really; you aren't as good as I thought."

"What! I nearly won, I just haven't trained with Beautifly in awhile, okay?"

"Excuses,"

"They are not!"

Drew smirked again at the girl. "You do seem interesting enough, though. Would you like to join me for some food at the PokeCenter?"

May hesitated, "I shouldn't. I should go back to training."

"You should go and drop Beautifly off at the same time."

"Alright," May pouted; the idea of gorging on food appealed to her very much.

* * *

><p>They walked in peaceful sync for the first few moments.<p>

"So are you…" Drew started.

"Is that…" May also began. They looked at each other and chuckled.

"Ladies first," Drew said in a slightly mocking, but still courteous voice.

May giggled again. "Is Roselia your first Pokemon?"

"Yeah, I trained her from a Budew, extremely feeble when I met her, though. I remember it was a rainy night, and I was out of town with my mother. I ran to play around in the fields, but it started to rain. That's when I saw a lonely Budew hiding under the same tree I was using for protection. I caught her shortly afterwards."

"That's sweet. I've had Beautifly for awhile, but she's not my first Pokemon."

"What is then?"

"I have a Blaziken, which was originally a Torchic I received from Professor Birch."

"Oh?" Drew hinted being surprised. "A Blaziken, quite powerful then, I take it?"

"Yep! He's amazing." May smiled brightly.

They reached the PokeCenter shortly after many more mindless questions. Receiving a table and ordering food came after handing Nurse Joy May's Beautifly. Talking for hours at the PokeCenter, and going through many arguments, they realized they had much in common. Both of their goals was to reach the Grand Festival, but while Drew had already attended previous years, May only started her coordinating journey that year and had only obtained two ribbons. The year was early, though.

* * *

><p>It was already the end of the day before either took notice. But Drew had to leave.<p>

"I'll see you at the next contest, then, May." Drew said.

"Do you have to leave already?"

"Yeah," Drew sighed. "I need a couple of ribbons to finish off for the Grand Festival, and if I don't get to battle you soon, there's always the Festival."

"Alright, thanks for the wonderful day, Drew." May beamed.

Drew held back his own smile and gave her a smirk and a hair flip instead. "Many girls would be dying to spend a day with me. Consider yourself very fortunate."

"Well then I'm not many girls, then!" May retorted.

But before more words could come out of the girl, a crimson, thornless rose was held in front of her face. "For Beautifly, June." And then Drew walked away.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." May said after his disappearing figure. "Huh? Drew! My name's May!"

She fumed, but secretly, she was excited for their next battle.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yeah, this is kinda short, I know. But I'm really trying to keep my eyes open right now and it's not even 21:30. For those who are military time impaired, that says 9:30 PM. Alrighty, forgive me of the mistakes, or point them out for me. Reviews are also very welcomed.<strong>_

_**Oh, BTW, a lot of the themes are kinda dark/sad/angsty. But many are also random, fluffy, and cheery. So it depends what mood I'm in. I'll probably start a fluffy one and then a little less fluffy and then dark and then fluffy again. **_


	2. Rainbow

**Guess who's back. Yep, I really apologise to those people who are following my other stories. You've probably forgotten what they're about even if I update. Wellll, true. I've even forgotten. Though I have been quite inspired today to write another oneshot, making it only 98 themes left! Yay!**

**I've got a lot to say, but I really don't think y'all want to listen. It's currently Chinese New Years break for me, since I'm Asian and all. This also means a week and a half of nothing to do! So I'll be (probably) updating my dA account, I'll be updating fanfiction and I'll be happy! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS A DAY LATE; this story has nothing to do with Chinese New Years, but you guys'll forgive me, right? You probably won't forgive me for disappearing of the face of , but what's important is I'm back, right? And my writing's gotten a lot better! I nearly (yeah, the website messed up my quotes... so I only got a stupid editor's choice article award) published something in a monthly magazine! Well, enough of that. Enjoy~**

* * *

><p><em><strong>~ Rainbow ~<strong>_

It's been pouring these past few days, and it's definitely been hindering my traveling. I've been stuck in Verdenturf for the past three days because the road is apparently too dangerous to go to Mauvile.

I look at my ribbon case, which is neatly perched against the windowpane and I sigh. I've only gotten two ribbons and a fourth of the year has already gone by. Of course it isn't because I'm horribly untalented at coordinating, nor is it even that I've been in a slump. My appeals have been more spectacular than usual… Well, at least in my last two contests, which are the only contests I've been in this year. I've found this unidentifiable source of inspiration. I guess it just natural for a prodigy like me.

Okay, for those who aren't aware, I started the year late because my PokéSchool let out only a month ago. Why I need to go to one is beyond me; I'm already a Top Coordinator after a single year and I'm definitely on a roll. Anyways, because of that unnecessary education system, I missed an entire season of contests! Spring is already around the corner and I have only two stinking ribbons. I'll have to step up my game and hopefully this rain lets up, too.

I let Roselia out of her Pokéball; it must be cramped in there. She sprouts a couple of words in her "language". I translate it into something along the lines of, "Let's go watch the contest today at the contest hall! We've got nothing better to do today, Drew."

I sigh in agreement; the rain was very dreary, but maybe watching some other coordinators will give me more appeal ideas. I grab an umbrella and glance at the clock; the contest would start in five minutes. If I run, I'll make it in time. But it's not my style to run. I'll just be fashionably late. So I walk out the room with Roselia in tow and we walk at a very leisurely pace to the contest hall.

We arrive at the hall and it seems as if only a fourth of the contestants have performed their appeals. I actually manage to find a seat in the front, but of course many would throw themselves across the room for me. I pick up Roselia and she sits herself on my lap so she can see.

"That was a brilliant performance and will be hard to follow up on. But now, it's time for the recently discovered, talented rookie, May Maple!" The MC announced.

My eyes widen a bit, I didn't expect her to be in Verdenturf. She walks out to the stage, or more skips out to the stage, beams at the crowd and waves! The crowd cheers even louder, but soon they die out because it was time for May to start her appeal.

She tosses two Pokéballs into the air and calls out, "Squirtle, Beautifly, come on out!"

A cheerful Squirtle flies out of the Pokéball. It does a pirouette in mid-air and lands gently with the help of Beautifly's Psychic attack.

"Alright!" May shouts, "Let's start with a Rain dance, Squirtle! Beautifly, use Quiver Dance!"

Rain starts drizzling on the stage, which reminds me it was actually raining outside, but Squirtle starts spinning and enjoying himself in it, which makes it a lot more joyful. Beautifly starts spinning skywards, starts glowing with sparkles splashing about. The sparkles reflect off the rain, causing faint rays of light to surround the stage.

My attention is drawn back to their trainer as she calls out another set of orders. "Squirtle, Whirlpool, then Water Gun and Bubble! Beautifly Psychic!"

The crowd and judges murmur about the Pokémon's' wide assortment of attacks, while also a bit skeptical of May's usage and commands.

I sit back and watch as Squirtle uses Whirlpool on the ground and flies into the air, while Beautifly swiftly comes around and catches Squirtle on her back. The duo then glides around as Squirtle combines a Water Gun with Bubble and leaves a glittering trail of water behind. Meanwhile, Beautifly uses Psychic on the water trail and forms it into a large swirl, seeming like a dragon's dance. It was all quite mesmerising, but May wasn't done yet. She still had at least one last trick up her sleeve.

"You're doing great, Beautifly; you too, Squirtle! Now for our grand finale; Beautifly, Morning Sun!"

The water "dragon" disappears off stage and the rain slowly starts to evaporate under the shining rays of light streaming from Beautifly. The crowd starts cheering, most giving a standing ovation, while all the judges stand up and applaud. May grins from ear to ear and takes a curtsy, but then she doesn't recall her Pokémon. She waits a little and looks up; everyone follows in suit. Quickly after all the attention is drawn, Beautifly stops using Morning Sun and brings Squirtle gently down to the ground. But in the air, there starts to form a dazzling rainbow and the colours are definitely enhanced by the lighting on stage. Then May takes her true bow and even I stand up and applaud her magnificence. I barely hear an indignant grunt from the ground, but I suddenly remember Roselia, who fell to the ground when I stood. I picked her up, quickly apologising, and hold her tight while both of us continue appraising May and her Pokémon.

Vivian, the MC, calls for everyone's attention, which she doesn't catch very easily. May walks to the front of the stage as she waits to hear the critics. Mr. Contesta was the first to comment.

"May, they say you are a rookie, but that was definitely not a rookie performance! The colours, the splendour, the magnificence, the grace! You had it all. This was definitely one of my favourite performances of the year so far! I hope you continue just as strong, making it to the Grand Festival!" After his comments, he presses a button and on the screen in front of his table appears a bright 10. "It was very well deserved."

Mr. Sukizo compliments next. "You and your Pokémon have already connected it seems. Not only have you proved to be capable of achieving levels greater than some of our Top Coordinators already, the potential in you is limitless! From your performance, your Pokémon seemed delighted to be on stage and the routine you created was a flawless and perfect choice for the afternoon. It reminded us all of the rain, but it also showed that the rain is not always gloomy as it has been pouring for the past few days. Rain can be the most beautiful thing as well!" He also follows his praise by clicking a button; another solid 10.

Nurse Joy was the last, but by no means the least important. "Darling, you were splendid. It takes years for coordinators to create the ability to perform such spectacular routines, but you and your Pokémon managed immaculately with such great eyes for detail and colours! Oh, the excitement of what you can do by the time the Grand Festival rolls over!" She presses the button, which flashes a 10. "I hope your battling skills triumph equally to your appeals."

May bounces in joy, unable to contain her happiness. She smiles at the judges and politely says a quick "Thank you." And just about flies off stage in utter bliss. She is truly amazing, and I can't wait for her battling. They most certainly will be better than when we first met. She might just become a better coordinator than me, not that I will ever admit to that, though. I'd best start training again.

The rest of the appeals go by quite uneventfully, nothing more spectacular than May's performance. I even felt sympathy for the guy who had to go after May. The battles also went by without much interest, until May stepped onto the stage again. The crowd burst into fervent applause the moment her face was visible. She smiles, maybe even blushes, and bows toward the audience. Her opponent was a less memorable contestant, but he sent out an impressive looking Nidorina. But without hesitating, May sends out her Beautifly.

Combining more brilliant attacks such as Silver Wind, Psychic, and Acrobatics, she swiftly, and utmost elegantly, defeats her opponent. The semi-finals are also quite generic, except for when May battles. Soon enough, the afternoon rolls by, and May wins the ribbon. No surprise there. After the appeals, I was already bored of the contest and all I wanted to do was to talk to May.

* * *

><p>Finally, the contests closes and everyone flows out of the contest hall, umbrellas opening. I spot May's crimson bandana out of nowhere and quietly pursue her.<p>

"Maple!" I call. I mentally slap myself for sounding rude, but she turns around to my voice anyways.

"Drew! I didn't expect to see you here! It's great to see you again." Her smile melts my heart and is as sweet as caramel.

I cough to stop any obscene comments or thoughts out of my mind. "Well, obviously it's because you never think." I toss her a crimson, thornless rose. "And don't think, it's for you. It's for Beautifly and Squirtle."

Her puffing cheeks replace her smile. "I bet they'll love it and I do think! How did you expect me to get a perfect score in my appeal round, then?"

"Oh really? I wasn't watching. You must have bored me to death, June. And it was all Squirtle and Beautifly" I slap myself mentally again. I should shut up before she really gets mad. But she's just so cute when she is mad.

"My name is May! And I don't want to stand around listening for you to insult my coordination skills or me! Goodbye!" She tries storms off, but nearly trips until I catch her arm.

"Falling for me, May?"

Stumbling to stand again, she nods an indignant "thanks" at me and more calmly walks away this time. But she stops at the door.

"What's wrong? You can't leave my awesomeness and me?" This cocky attitude is getting me nowhere.

"It's not that…" May falters. "I..."

"Go on," I preposition. "What's bothering you?"

"I forgot to bring an umbrella." I can imagine her kicking herself for her stupidity.

"Didn't you bring one when you came here?"

"No, I was running late, so I just ran here in the rain!"

I chuckle, but also debate what I should say next. "Well, that's your own problem then." I pull out my own umbrella and step outside.

May sulks and looks away, uncertain of her next move. But of course this was my chance to spend more time with her. And to share an umbrella, which means close proximity.

"Well, are you coming?" I ask impatiently.

She looks up with her innocent cerulean eyes. "What?"

"Are you coming or not?" I repeat. "You're staying at the PokéCenter, and I am as well. Since you are in quite a tight predicament and I can lend you a chivalrous hand."

"Really?" Her eyes started to brighten again; it's cuter than a Lillipup.

"No, I'm just standing in the rain because I have nothing better to do." Although sarcasm dripped from my mouth, I really don't have much better to do. Verdenturf was as boring as a Slowbro on vacation and I still am not allowed to go to Mauville, courtesy of Officer Jenny.

May quickly shelters herself under my umbrella. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." I reply as we head towards the PokéCenter.

It was nearly a dead silent walk, but somehow, it was actually enjoyable. I wish the PokéCenter was farther away, but we soon arrived at the building. I walk May to Nurse Joy's counter, and I watch her as she hands the nurse her Pokémon. Then she turns to me and gives me the most adorable smile.

"Thanks a lot, Drew. I really appreciate it. I owe you one."

"Well, if you really want to pay me back, then you can have a snack with me at the café."

"Sure, I'd love some cake right now!" May skips happily away and I find myself smiling. I removed the smile immediately and walk after her.

We find a seat at the café and order food. Then we sit down and, well, we just talk.

"So how've you been?" I ask.

"Great actually! After today, I've only got two more ribbons to go! My next stop will be Slateport and then I'll finish off in Lilycove. That is, if everything goes according to schedule." She looks away with a slight frown, probably thinking of a back up plan.

"I bet you'll do fine." I say and realise it's one of the first compliments I've given her the entire day.

"I hope so. What about you? How many ribbons have you got?"

I look away, a bit embarrassed, but mumble, "I only have two. But it's of course because I started my journey later than you. And the stupid rain has kept me here for the past few days…"

She doesn't falter or anything. She doesn't laugh or even smirk. Instead, she nods sympathetically. "I bet you would have more than me if you started at the same time!"

I try to flip my bangs and smirk. "Of course. You can't expect anything less than from me."

May giggles softly. "Good."

"Where are you from? You aren't in any magazines yet, since you're a rookie and all, and well, I'm just curious."

"I'm from Petalburg City." She says proudly. "My father's Norman, the Normal-type gym leader. And you?"

This was news to me. No wonder she was so powerful at battles! I quickly recover from the new discovery and say, "I'm from LaRousse. The centre of all developing technology."

"Oh! I've heard of LaRousse. I've always wanted to go with my dad when he goes for battling strategy training or something, but he doesn't ever take me!"

"Well, if you do go there, and if I'm around, I'll be sure to show you around."

"It's a promise then!" She has a lopsided smile on and I feel a blush creep up.

We talk more about past experiences and stories, learning a lot more about each other. She's probably the closest friend I have now. The afternoon is soon over, and I'm really surprised by how unaware I was. It was a little past five, but the sun still is bright and high.

I look outside the window, and May mirrors my actions. It's as if her smile made the entire world bright and caused the rain to stop. Because stop it did. I took a double take, realising I could finally leave the God forsaken town! I look back at May and her eyes widen and a grin grows on her delicate face.

"Drew, look! A rainbow!" I look outside, and there it was. Not just a rainbow, but there is a double rainbow. The sunlight reflects beautifully off of it and the scenery is definitely one to match. All the colours melt together in gorgeous and perfect unison. And I never once thought that I would love rain… Or rainbows for that matter.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeppp. There was no plot at all in this... I'm sorry. This was basically 2000+ words of crap. I just realised that now. I'm sorry. *Tears*<strong>

**Okay, here's me shamelessly saying to y'all to not flame me for mistakes, but instead to point them out nicely. I love reviews, and I'm in a state of depression right now...** (recently moved... in the middle of a stupid year... I hate life... I hate my new city...),** right that's me being shamefully excuse-filled, please ignore... So review?**

**CSP out!**


	3. Dreams

**Hello everyone! Dear me, it's been awhile since I've been on FF. But here's my update! Without further ado, let this next oneshot begin!**

* * *

><p>We were camping out on Route 110 whilst on our way to Mauville City. May and I had been travelling together for a couple years now, although our relationship hadn't developed much past "eternal rivals." Oh how thick May could be sometimes.<p>

Yet at the time, it was lovely. There was one evening where it was just May, the fire, the stars and me. We quickly finished up some store-bought curry; the real disgusting kind because we had run short of money during our stay in Slateport (those trinkets were hard to resist, and knowing May, she needed a keychain for every one of her Pokéballs). The odd serenity of the area was too great to put aside for sleep, so we decided to camp under the stars instead of our tents that night. Our Pokémon were oddly behaved and resting beside us, no longer pouncing around or chasing one another. We laid contentedly side-by-side; May pointed out constellations, I kept silent.

"That one's Ursaring Major, and right over there's Teddiursa Minor." May pointed out. I had no idea how she could tell them apart; these stars seemed entirely random and unfathomable into constellations. Yet I listened to her sweet voice and nodded my head every now and then.

Suddenly May's voice rang out louder than before. "Look, Drew, there's a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!"

I watched in amusement as she shut her eyes and crossed her fingers, unintelligibly mumbling under her breath. I closed mine as well for a second, giving in to a childish whim, and wished. _I wish to always be by her side._

When I opened my eyes again, May was staring straight into my face, grinning from ear to ear. It was quite unsettling.

"So what did you wish for?" She asked, with her eyes as wide as a child's on Christmas morning.

I smirked before replying, "I can't tell you that, June. Or else it won't come true."

She pouted and turned away. "Fine! Then I guess I won't tell you what I wished for. And that's not my name! You should have remembered that by now, it's been several years since we've known each other! "

I smiled inwardly and then exhaled in a satisfied manner as she ranted on.

Again abruptly changed in mood, May burst into another episode of _Adventure Time with May!_ Her fingers were adjusted so they made a rectangular shape, and her voice broadcasted through the emptiness of the forest.

"On today's surprise episode of _Adventure Time with May!_, we encountered a shooting star and made wishes for our hopes and dreams. Now we will commence an interview with none other than coordinator, Drew! What do you dream about, Drew?"

I frowned at the sudden question and her flashy way of addressing the situation, but nonetheless, I humored her.

"Being the best coordinator, although that's not really a dream, that's reality." I commented snidely as May roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Grass Head."

"I also dream about all my fangirls leaving me alone. Then I could have some peace and quiet for once." I laced my fingers and put them behind my head.

"You love the attention, Drew, admit it."

"I guess, but it's nice being here with just you, too."

I wondered if she blushed at that, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her directly. I could already imagine the fire dancing colours into her hair, making her eyes shine more brightly than usual.

I felt her turn to face me and shake her head. "That's not what I meant, though. I mean, what are you dreams in life? What are you goals, your aspirations and the like?"

Glancing over at her, I chuckled. "Aspirations is a pretty big word for you."

She softly whacked me on the head and puffed her cheeks in that ever so cute manner at my comment. I could then see that I was right; the fire did reflect in her eyes to make them gleam, it did make her hair seem more alive and different, partially because she had taken off her bandana earlier.

"I guess, to be the Top Coordinator was my main dream when I was younger." I responded more seriously. "But I think I've already achieved what I had hoped for in coordinating. Now it's just what I want to do after that, where I want to be. What're your 'dreams', May?"

She placed her finger on her lips and closed her eyes in a contemplative manner, momentarily forgetting her "TV show".

"I want to beat you at the Grand Festival." She said finally, with a smile.

My heart fell slightly, although I berated myself. What had I hoped she would say?

"And also, I dream that I can make my family proud. Maybe to eat more delicious foods in the nearby future. Today's curry was absolutely disgusting."

I teased, "Your second helpings seem to say otherwise."

"I'm still a growing person!" She replied indignantly.

"That's always your excuse."

"Mmhm…"

May sounded like she was about to fall asleep. Almost as soon as I made that observation, I could hear her breath deepening into a steady rhythm. Not wanting to wake the girl, I pulled part of my blanket over her. It was just one night, what could possibly happen? And if she were mad in the morning about sharing a blanket, well, I'd figure that out when the time comes.

I gazed back at the stars, not wanting to sleep, and hoped to see at least a couple constellations May had pointed out earlier. After searching to no avail, I sighed.

"You really are amazing, May." I whispered. "Of all the beautiful things that you can show me, though, I think you exceed them all. My dream? I think… that being with you is my new dream."

I stopped talking for a moment, afraid that May had heard me. That would have been a rather uncompromising situation.

Gazing back at the stars one last time, I decidedly followed May into a peaceful state of slumber. That night, I dreamt of May.

* * *

><p><strong>One major question for y'all, do you want me to continue my story Here Once Again? I know I've had a good amount of followers on that, and I know I had already abandoned the story, but I'm thinking that maybe I'm ready to pick it up again. But I only will if there is interest. <strong>

**Lastly, a huge thank you to anyone who still may follow me, and all reviewers. Reading all your wonderful comments from my previous stories has given me the drive to write more! **

**Regards,**

**CSP.**


	4. Childhood

**Wow! Two uploads in two days? I'm on a roll! Okay, so for any of y'all that are interesting, I'm going to try pushing out as many stories as I can before school starts (although I'll definitely still try to publish then, too!), and I'm working on three more stories other than this one! So look forward to them!**

* * *

><p><strong>~ Childhood ~<strong>

"Why won't you ever grow up?!" Mom's hand made sharp contact with my face. "You're such a burden to everyone around you!"

I raised my arms in defense, screaming, "I'm sorry, Mom, I'm sorry!" repeatedly until my voice grew hoarse.

It was a natural occurrence at our house when Dad came home late. No one in the house slept on those nights. Mom was known for her temper and the only one safe from it was Max.

It was one day when I was around 7 or 8 and feeling awfully brave that I decided to break away from Mom's watch and go hide in a bush near the pond. I had stashed some Pokémon plush toys there the past few times I ran off, so I played with those. I didn't expect any company, but the bushes suddenly started rustling so I lifted up a Blaziken doll in defense.

"W-who's there?" My voiced squeaked.

"May! What in the world are you doing hiding in a bush?" It was Mom. _Drat. I thought I had escaped from her._

She dragged my out by the wrist, despite my screeching and struggling, and confiscated all my toys.

"When you learn to grow up, you can have these back. I was so worried about you, what were you thinking?"

If she had really been worried about me, she would have put Max down to spend a moment of time with me. Back then I could only understand that Mom and Dad weren't getting along too great. Because Mom was always so stressed, she always yelled at me and expected me to be more mature for my age. Yet because of safety precautions, I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone or play with the other kids. The only people I would see around were trainees of the Gym, Mom, and Max.

Oh how I longed for a single friend. It wasn't the same playing make-believe or puppeteering my dolls around. I could watch the other kids enviously for hours behind those black iron gates, but it didn't change anything.

When Mom was in a deliriously good mood, which rarely happened, I was permitted to play in the park by myself as she sat on a bench coddling Max. I wandered aimlessly as I had neither a friend nor doll for company.

"Heads up!" I heard a voice scream out.

Before I could respond, I was knocked off my feet by a red, rubber ball.

"Oof! That really hurt."

An odd boy with green hair ran up to me. I thought he was going to apologize, but instead he had the audacity of saying, "You could've dodged that if you'd listened to me! Jeez, girls are all so dumb sometimes."

"Hey!" I yelled, angered at his snootiness. "You should've watched where you kicked that thing! And you could at least say sorry."

"You're right, I'm sorry: sorry you don't have better reflexes!" The boy grabbed his ball and ran off again.

My head started throbbing again, but I wasn't about to let all the strangers in the park see me cry. I tried to find a tree to climb or a swing to swing in or something to distract me! The park was as barren as Mom's heart so I found an abandoned bench to lay loose my tears.

A ball rolled towards me again; this time hitting my shoe gently. I looked up and saw the same rascal that had hit me earlier.

"Why don't you leave me alone!" I screamed.

"I just wanted to say sorry, especially if it made you cry." The boy mumbled, looking down at his shoes.

I was slightly taken aback; such a transformation in attitude!

"I guess… it's okay." I responded.

"I know!" The boy shouted suddenly, "Why don't we be friends?"

My eyes widened at the prospect. "Friends…?"

"Yeah!" The boy's smile was as sweet as honey, how could I possibly refuse?

"O-okay! What's your name?"

"I'm Andrew, but you can just call me Drew for short. What about you?"

"I'm… May." I hesitated in giving him my name, but surely he couldn't be one of those weirdos my parents had warned me about?

I heard Mom call for me soon after our exchange, and I had to wave goodbye to my new friend. My first friend.

"I'll see you again later, right?" Drew called out just before I was dragged away. I didn't get a chance to tell him that'd I'd love to see him again, but oh how I wished I did.

It wasn't for a good few years later when I saw the boy again. This time, I had brought a trusty book to the park because despite the years that had gone by, I had yet to gain another friend. I recognized his green hair immediately, though it did blend in with the grass. His face and body had grown into that of a teenager's. His green hair was ruffled the same as before, but his face was longer and more defined at the edges. His body was well muscled and tan, albeit on the short side.

"Watch out!" I heard before feeling an oddly familiar pain surge through the side of my head.

I fell to the ground once again, as the same boy came running towards me. Once again.

"Oh geez, not again!" I heard him say as I sat up. "June, are you okay?"

The first coherent sentence spluttered out of my mouth, "My name is May!"

"Sorry, April, it's been awhile." He smirked as he lent me a hand.

"It's _May._ You know, you could watch where you kick that thing."

"You could watch where you're going, too!"

After all those years, our first conversation was an argument. _How lovely._

"Well, it's nice to see you," Drew said out of the blue. "I thought you disappeared from this world when you never went to the park again!"

"Yeah, I just don't get out much." I replied lamely.

"Are you going to start your Pokémon journey soon?"

"I wish! My parents won't even let me have a Pokémon, much less go out."

His face fell a bit. _Had he hoped he'd see me in his travels?_

"If you ever do get out," he said with a grin, "we should travel together sometime!"

I took him up on his offered and smiled for the first time in a long time. Mom called me back again at the most inconvenient time and I had to cut my conversation short with Drew.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go now! See you!" I called out before rushing back home.

Mom was furious that I had gone out without her permission and she yelled for hours. But I thought every slap she gave to me was worth it. I would run away the next day so she could never hit me again.

I decided I was going to start my Pokémon journey.

* * *

><p><strong>Wheee! Hope y'all enjoyed that one! That was a tough one to write, I guess I just lacked inspiration. Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated! If there's anything y'all want me to write specifically, you can simply PM me!<strong>

**As mentioned in my last chapter, I'm still putting up the offer: is there anyone that would like me to finish either of my stories The Artist or Here Once Again? Both stories I have decided at some point to abandon, although if there is still interest in them, I would be willing to finish them.**

**Thanks for reading, guys!**

**Regards,**

**CSP!**


	5. Hold My Hand

**Haha, thought I'd run away after some posting, did ya? Well... I guess no one thought that cos no one's really reading these. Oh well, here's the newest update! I've been a bit "busy" because I've finally gotten Pokémon X and a 3DS (finally!). And might I say, it is the best game ever.**

****So this one was inspired three or so years ago by the ol' Fanfic meme; hopefully some of us have been around long enough to remember what it is! These are snippets from the ones I like the most!****

* * *

><p><strong>Hold My Hand<strong>

When I look back on my life, I can only say how lucky I feel. Not only have I accomplished my dream of becoming a Top Coordinator, I also have my best friend, partner in crime, love of my life (whichever title you so prefer) travelling with me. I had never thought of the day when May Maple would run adoringly into my arms and tell me she loved me. Of course I had dreamt of it, but since we were such competitive rivals, it seemed as if it would have always stayed a blissful fantasy.

It's been five years, two months, three days, ten hours, and four minutes since she first agreed to travel together. But then again, that's only the author's imagination.

"Drew! I've been looking everywhere for you. It's really not fun searching all of Slateport." May pouted, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, May. I was just trapped in my own world." I couldn't help but grin. That's the kind of impact she's had on me; I've almost completely stopped smirking!

"Sure, sure. You have time to be spending lost in your own world and never have time to just be with me."

I didn't know she felt this way, but in a way, it was kind of cute. "I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you."

But she gave me the cold shoulder. I nudged her, but she still didn't reply. She even looked away! I stood up and planted myself in front of her line of vision. I continued to stare at her, but she kept looking away. This was frustrating, so I decided to try a different approach.

"May," I purred into her ear. "You know, I'm really sorry about not paying attention." I could feel her tense up. "You have my undivided attention now." Her gaze shifted uncomfortably. I was starting to have a little fun. "Do you want me to tell you how much I love you? Or that you're all I think about when we're not together?"

She blushed and her words became stuttered. "S-stop. It's fine."

I smirked in victory.

**When she ignores you, give her your attention.**

It was a new day and I was meeting May in front of the PokéCentre in the morning. I was early, as usual.

At first, I was thinking of which movie we should watch later on, but then I spotted my favourite girl mindlessly walking to the Centre. I grinned and ducked behind a convenient bench until she arrived.

"That's strange, Drew isn't here yet. He's usually early." I heard her mumble to herself.

I promptly took my cue and ran behind her. I lifted her up and embraced her tightly, protectively.

"D-Drew? That had better be you!" She squealed.

I chuckled and reluctantly set her down. She turned around and her surprised face turned into a sweet smile. She leaned in and gave me a sudden peck on my cheek. I flipped my hair and threw my arm over her shoulder.

"Let's go see a movie, May."

**When you see her walking, sneak up and hug her from behind.**

Halfway through the week, it started raining. Today we were lucky, it was only a light drizzle. Although when May walked through the door, she might have had a different opinion.

Her hair dripped with fresh rain with strands flying all around. The tangled mess was sloppily tied to the side. Her clothes were surprisingly drenched for a "drizzle" and her shoes squeaked with every step. I could remember a time (just yesterday as a matter of fact!) when those shows were white, but now they walked around slathered with mud and grime. May's jacket was shades of mismatched and seemed to cling onto her body in just the wrong places. She still looked perfect to me.

Her eyes scanned the room, trying to find me. Sighing, she looked back down, probably chastising herself for her messed up attire. I walked over to her, to spare her more trouble.

"May, how are you?" I mentally slapped myself as soon as the question was out.

"Oh, just peachy, Drew." She grumbled. Her words were just as soaked in sarcasm as her clothes were in water.

"Sorry," I muttered.

She waved it off. "You realise it is pouring outside, right? What are we supposed to do?"

I shook my head, not wanting to upset her further by suggesting something stupid.

"Then let's just stay here." She sighed for the umpteenth time. I felt horrible because I couldn't do anything to make her smile.

We took a seat on an empty couch. May actually didn't seem to mind that she was soaked. That is, until she heard some girls whispering.

"Look at her, she's a monster but she's still sitting with that handsome guy." My eye twitched with irritation.

May seemed to have heard them as well and her head sunk even further into the magazine in her hands. I gave the girls a threatening glare and I saw them shrink away. I carefully glanced at May, who was pretending to be interested in PokéTrainer Weekly.

Moving in closer to her, I took the magazine out of her hands and pulled her so close I could feel her squirm under my grip.

"You shouldn't pretend to be interested when you're not." I whispered. "And also, you will always be the most beautiful girl I know, so smile."

Her eyes glanced up, gleaming as she finally relaxed and fell into my arms. _Squish._

**When you see her at her worst, tell her she's beautiful.**

May was the most cheerful person I had ever met. Her happiness was downright contagious, especially with her laugh that sounded like the songs of a Jigglypuff. It was only on rare occasion I'd ever see her down. Most of the times, though, it was because she had lost a contest, but even then she was never a sore loser.

That's why it was easy to tell when she was upset. Her eyes would lose their shine; that bubbly voice that everyone could instantaneously fall in love with would disappear and become only an echo of what it was.

I lifted a finger to poke her cheek. "Maaay, do you want to play a game?"

She hardly responded. I started to get worried.

"Is everything okay?"

She shook her head before covering her face with her sleek brown locks.

"What's wrong, May?" I asked softly. "I'm here for you."

Burying her head into my shoulder, I could only hear bits and pieces of her faint mumbling.

"Petalburg Gym… Father… wants… end my… journey."

I held her closer, yet refrained from speaking.

"They want me to end my Pokémon journey, Drew." She said at last. "The Petalburg Gym is having some problems right now and my parents are hoping I go back and help."

I looked at her in shock; she couldn't go back now! We were only a month away from the Grand Festival and May had improved so much and worked too hard for it to be taken away from her.

I continued to remain silent. May would have to decide for herself what she wanted to do the most, yet I hoped that I could convey how I felt by holding her close. I didn't want my partner in crime to leave me.

**When she's quiet, ask her what's wrong; when she's upset, hold her tight and don't let go.**

The evening descended unexpectedly as May and I had spent the entire day playing games at a festival. The bright skies quickly melted into a blanket of darkness. The stars were soon covered with layers upon layers of clouds. Unexpectedly, rain started to pour.

"Let's hurry up and get back to the Pokémon Center!" May shouted, covering her head with her bag.

I nodded and took her hand while we tried running back to avoid the rain. We had barely made it back when the first cackle of thunder struck.

May screamed, falling to her knees. Her body seemed so small, so delicate as it trembled.

"May, we're almost at the Pokémon Center! We'll be safe there." I tried ushering her to walk the last several meters, but she remained paralyzed.

I looked around to see if there were any other forms of shelter nearby, but the Center was the closest. May was still inept of movement. I let out a frustrated yelp before I swept May into my arms and carried her to the Center. I'll admit I wasn't the strongest of guys and thus even with May's light frame I had difficulty carrying her. But I just had to get her out of the thunder. Once we had reached some shelter, she was still shaking. I rushed into my room and grabbed my PokéNav, some headphones and a blanket before hurrying back to May.

I helped May onto an empty couch and slid the headphones over her ears, hoping to drown out the rest of the world. Wrapping the blanket around her wet torso, I held her in my arms until she fell asleep. Not wanting to wake her, nor was I physically capable of carrying her again, we slept on the couch until the morning.

**When she's scared, protect her.**

We were taking a break from the usual travelling and contests when the weather kicked up a storm. I let her choose a movie and we wrapped ourselves like burritos in our blankets before settling down with some fresh popcorn.

I would like to say I was focused on the movie, but in reality, my attention was drawn to her by her endless facial reactions.

Her nose would scrunch in disgust. "Can you believe he just did that?"

Pink lips would curl into a gentle smile. "She's such a cutie."

Eyes, they'd tear up. "That's so romantic!"

After awhile she noticed my attention was split.

"Are you even watching, Drew?" She eyed me suspiciously.

Defensively, I said, "I'm watching, I'm watching."

May seemed satisfied with the response before laying her head upon my shoulder. I could smell her Pecha berry scented shampoo and felt her hair softly tickle my neck.

"Maaay," I whined jokingly. "You're hair is tickling me."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She quickly retracted her head, but I pulled her back. Tilting her head up, I planted a kiss right on those delicate lips.

May seemed a bit flustered, but to avoid my gaze, she put her head back on my shoulder and tried to focus on the movie.

I smiled contentedly and hugged her body closer.

**When she lays her head on your shoulder, tilt her head up and kiss her.**

"Are you ready yet, June?" I asked as I knocked on the door of May's changing room. "We're going to miss our cue if you don't hurry!"

We were participating in the Wallace Cup in pairs and had less than two minutes before we had to be on stage. Her need for her outfit to be perfect was less than ideal for our current situation. We decided to keep our performance classy, using Glaceon and Roselia for the perfect combination of elegance and sophistication. I wore a tuxedo and was feeling quite well prepared. Except for the fact that my partner seemed nowhere near ready.

Suddenly she burst out of the room. "Sorry! I was combing Glaceon's mane!"

I rolled my eyes before dragging her towards the stage. I couldn't help but notice her hair was curled into cute ringlets, and her outfit. _Wow._ It wasn't that May was ever unattractive, but today… Today she looked like she was going to rule the world. Her evening gown was a deep scarlet shade that gracefully skimmed the floor with every step. A slit ran up the dress to show off a stunningly toned leg.

"Not half bad." I muttered, eying her up and down.

She snorted, "Not half bad yourself, Grass Head."

I produced a rose from behind my back and tucked it into her hair.

"For Glaceon," I said. "But I think her trainer needs it more than her right now. Isn't that right, April?"

May's face flushed, unbeknownst to me whether it was from irritation or bashfulness.

**When she teases you, tease her back sweetly.**

We left the Pokémon Center after the contest, but before getting far we decided to take a rest on a couple of tree stumps.

"Hey, hey Drew," May chirped as she materialized beside me.

"What is it, June?"

"I have a secret, do you want to know what it is?" Grinning devilishly, she immediately captured my attention.

Not wanting her to get under my skin too much, I decided to tease her back. "Is it how you manage to trip even when there's absolutely nothing there? Because I'd already figured that one out."

She looked at me in slight annoyance. "That's not it, Grass Head."

"Alright, I'll bite, what's your secret?"

"I'm not telling you because you were mean to me." May stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.

I rolled my eyes, but my mind was frantically thinking of the numerous secrets she could have withheld from me. _Do I snore in my sleep? Is she tired of traveling with me? Is it my cooking skills? Because I know they aren't great… but–_

I felt a knocking on my forehead. Of course, it was May. "Earth to Drewww!"

"What?!" I snapped back.

May flinched and took a step back. "Gosh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the Pokéball today. Nevermind."

"I'm sorry," I said reluctantly, apologizing was not my forte. "But will you please tell me your secret? I'm dying to know now."

She giggled before replying, "But I just told you my secret, silly."

Looking at her questioningly, I waited.

"Will you promise not to tell anybody?" Suddenly her gaze became serious.

I swore myself to secrecy.

"Are you sure? Not a single soul whether human or Pokémon?"

I nodded again.

Her grin returned as she whispered into my ear, "My secret is that… I really really really really like you."

**When she tells you a secret, keep it safe and untold.**

_He called me up this morning at 12 in the morning. As expected, I was groggy and would have punched anyone who would separate me from sleep. Good thing he called, good thing. But in the end, he was forgiven._

_All he had wanted to say was, "Happy Birthday, May! I love you." _

_It's times like these when I feel like a princess because he treats me like I'm the only thing that matters in the world. Forget sleep, forget food, being with Drew was my favourite pastime. Even my dreams he stays up all night with me. When I'm sick, he tucks me in with a bowl of chicken noodles and we watch my favourite movies even when he knows they're stupid. He spoils me by letting me wear his clothes when I want and spends time with me when I'm sad. _

_I fell in love with him when he kissed me in the pouring rain. I fell in love with the way his eyes crinkle when he tells me I'm important. I fell in love with his sense of romanticism when he said he'd give me the stars and handed me a bouquet of roses with his promise. I fell in love with him like it was the easiest thing in the world._

_**When she says that she likes you, she really does more than you could understand**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Whooo! So as usual, please comment and review! Those are greatly appreciated. :) <em>**


	6. Breaking the Rules

**Hello my darlings, I'm back! Yay for Christmas break! Well, to be honest, I'm simply procrastinating my winter work and got attracted back by the multitudes of Christmas fics up recently. :) Fluff really warms my heart around this time. On the other hand, this fic is a bit dark for some reason... I did start out writing like... five other happy fics, but somehow this is the only one that got finished. Oh well. I hope everyone's having an amazing holiday so far with lots of cheer and food! **

**The first "half" of this fic is in May's POV, and the second in Drew's and will be separated by a line much like the one right below. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>~ Breaking the Rules ~<strong>_

He was my childhood friend. He was my best friend. He was the one I sought at night when nightmares haunted my dreams, when the thunder hissed and roared. He was the sun that woke me in the mornings when it was time for a contest and the gentle kiss that laid me to sleep at night, and yet… I could never have him completely. He couldn't give himself to me because of that arrogant way he would flaunt himself around other girls. He was never mine because of that thick skull of his and his overwhelming belief of being charismatic in front of every single person. I was jealous. I was jealous and frustrated at both of us because I couldn't monopolize all of his time. I was frustrated because I wanted so much to just keep him to myself.

One day, he came to me and told me in a rare weakness, _she_ had broken his heart. To me, this was the first and final straw. It felt like a thousand volts of lightning had rushed through me when I saw him standing hunched over, refusing to look up, when I saw his lip quivering because someone didn't cherish him properly, didn't cherish him like I would have. I thought I would have cherished him. But I was irrational, impatient and guided solely by raw emotion. I should have held him close like he did to me all those years and let the tears glide down his face if they wished, wiping them away ever so carefully, but I couldn't. I should have stroked his hair and whispered that he was worth so much more and deserved better. I should have. But I didn't. I had grasped his shirt, yanking his face so close I could feel his shock and kissed him, hoping he would accept me or I could let go of everything. He didn't, but at that moment, I knew I could. His hand had pushed me back, albeit gently, as he recoiled from my actions. Speechless, I turned around, hid my face under my fringe and walked off. If he couldn't be mine now, why would he ever be mine?

* * *

><p>She was impatient. She was an impatient little girl who I could never leave alone in fear that she would hurt herself, be it trip over a wireless phone cord or walk straight into a door that was all sorts of glaringly obvious unnatural colours like a caution sign. I couldn't leave her alone because of her emotional stability either. Or what I had thought to be instability. Her feelings seemed to grow at an upward rate for me ever since her second contest, where she excitedly hugged me and thanked me profusely for simply being by her side. Oh, I knew her feelings well, but I couldn't accept her or the inevitable end to our precious relationship that I painstakingly held together with a little glue. It all began when we were seven when I first pieced her back together with the remains I found one summer, and we were best friends after that. She wasn't completely sane all the time, but really, our relationship was nothing more than that friendship. Best friends… friends… I think she hates me now.<p>

The day she kissed me, I had thought, _this isn't fair._ _That's breaking the rules._ On that day, she had no right to take that kiss or walk off during the middle of a storm without another word. We were best friends, rivals and everything in between, except lovers. That meant kissing and dating was off limits. Admittedly, I guess I wasn't being entirely fair either. I dated countless others while being by her side despite knowing how she felt because I thought it was the best for her that she still have someone to rely on. I chased away several others because they simply couldn't have handled her. Yet now I'm wondering if perhaps we should have parted ways when she wanted to go to Sinnoh. But if she had gone, she would have travelled with another guy and he most definitely would have ran away from her within the first week. I was, and still am, confident that there isn't anyone would dare wake her up in the morning while still being able handle her feisty nature later in the day. Who else could accept that she wouldn't go to bed without a glass of milk or that if it rained she had to wear squeaky yellow rain boots just so she could go splashing around in puddles even if those boots had to be shipped from regions away? Who else would have even lasted long enough to figure those things out about her?

I knew I should have chased her that day, but by the time I had collected my thoughts, she was long gone. Now I'm stuck worrying that she isn't eating properly. It's not that she won't eat enough, but knowing her, she may not have saved enough money for other living expenses or had eaten until she was sick. I've been worrying now that she's caught a cold and no one is by her side stroking her hair until she calms down enough to rest. Or even worse, someone else is beside her and she's forgotten all about me. She's quite forgetful. Of course, I probably don't deserve to feel protective over her anymore. If anything, I should find her, apologize and be on my way. The way I'm worrying is like that of a parent or a brother, but that's why. That's why I don't feel right being beside her anymore because I can only see her as a younger sister that I have always had the responsibility of taking care of, whereas she wants more. If we hadn't met the way we did though, maybe things could have ended differently. If her family hadn't have been so horrible to her for her to have snuck away, then maybe I wouldn't have felt this sense of responsibility. Maybe things could have been different… maybe… may–

"Drew?" It was May.

She ran towards me, dropping her bags and pulling me into an embrace. I gingerly hugged back before she pulled away as quickly as she came.

"It's been awhile, yeah?" She said with a cheeky grin.

A slight irritation flamed inside my brain. _It's been awhile? _ I wanted to tell her it's been quite longer than awhile and my worrying has caused me to lose several years off my life! But I noticed a taller gentleman step beside her with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Drew." He extended a hand. "May's told me so much about you."

I reluctantly reached out and shook hands with the boy, eyeing him up and down. _He seemed like a sane, polite fellow. _

"And this is…?" I asked, turning back to May.

"Oh, right! This is Brendan. Brendan Birch." May chirped with the sweetest voice I've heard her in for… a while. "I've been traveling with him for the past few months. He was my friend back in Petalburg."

I nodded as I took in this new information. I guess May really would have been fine if I had ever interfered; she had another childhood friend waiting all along. But who knew she could have reconciled their relationship so quickly. I'm sure the last time they met couldn't have been recently; I had always been with her. The thought ran bitter in my mind for the rest of the evening as the three of us headed to dinner to catch up.

Once we had drinks in our hands, I had calmed down enough to wonder aloud, "I haven't seen you in any contests recently, May."

She set her glass down mid-sip. "Oh, I've actually really gotten into doubles battling with Brendan! It's so much less... stressful than Coordinating always was."

"I see."

The rest of the dinner flew by as the two sailed through different topics like the a tsunami was driving them. And that entire time, I felt like I was simply intruding on their inside jokes. Just before dessert, I stood up to excuse myself.

"I actually have some plans for the rest of the night. I hope you both will excuse me now."

May looked a bit saddened, although Brendan was the one to reply. "No worries, we did force upon you this dinner and all. Let me pay for you so as not to hold up more of your time."

I nodded begrudgingly at the man, albeit thankful. May had shoveled the last more-than-a-mouthful bite of spaghetti into her mouth as I made my exit, so we simply exchanged an unfamiliar wave goodbye.

For some reason, I looked back through the window at them and saw a real couple. She was smiling gratefully as Brendan wiped away some stray spaghetti, perhaps he made some sort of joke, too. I turned away for the last time and let the coldness of the night envelope me in its embrace. _I guess I should move on with my life, too._

* * *

><p><strong>Yayyy writing! Ugh, I'm really out of it recently so I think my writing abilities are failing a bit, but hopefully I'll have a few more fics cranked out soon! As always, please leave a review as it'll surely be appreciated! :) CSP out!<strong>


End file.
